Apparatus for filling boxes, trays or the like



D. W. MOLINS Aug. 23, 1966 APPARATUS FOR FILLING BOXES, TRAYS OR THE LIKE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 5, 1964 Elva rm D. W. MOLINS Aug. 23, 1966 APPARATUS FOR FILLING BOXES, TRAYS OR THE LIKE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 5, 1964 Aug. 3, 1966 D. w. MOLINS 3,267,641

APPARATUS FOR FILLING BOXES, TRAYS OR THE LIKE Filed Jan. 3, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Mam/,4 4/. ma, W 4%? 441%? y zin 3,267,641 APPARATUS FUR FILLING BUXES, TRAYS OR THE LIKE Desmond Walter Molins, Deptford, London, Engiand assignor to The Molins ()rganisation Limited Filed Jan. 3, 1964, Ser. No. 335,634 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Jan. 7, 1963, 711/63 12 Claims. (Cl. 53143) This invention relates to apparatus for filling boxes, trays or the like with determined numbers of articles. For convenience of description, in this specification reference will be made to multiple filter plugs for cigarettes as an eXample of articles which may be handled by ap paratus embodying the invention, such plugs being articles which in shape and size are similar to a cigarette, but it should be understood that the invention is equally applicable to apparatus for use with other types of article.

It is particularly desirable with articles such as multiple filter plugs that the filling apparatus should be capable of operation with a direct feed from one or more machines for making the plugs or other articles, because the latter machines run at high speeds and must be kept continuously in operation for economic results.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide improved apparatus for filling boxes, trays or the like which inter alia is capable of receiving a continuous supply of articles.

According to the invention, there is provided apparatus for filling boxes, trays or the like with determined numbers of articles, comprising means for conveying articles in succession to a transfer position adjacent to a delivery opening, transfer means operable to carry articles from said transfer position to a release point above said opening, means for propelling boxes, trays or the like below said openings, means for counting articles carried by the transfer means, and gate means associated with said opening and operable under control of the counting means to close said opening whenever a predetermined number of articles have been counted.

In a preferred form of apparatus embodying the invention, where the articles to be handled are filter plugs, the conveying means and transfer means respectively comprise a conveyor belt and a fluted drum mounted close to the delivery end of said conveyor belt. At the delivery end, the belt passes downwardly around a guide roller and the fluted drum is mounted so close to that guide roller that plugs carried on the belt are fed into the flutes of the drum and carried around with the drum, whose upper surface moves in the same direction as the conveyor belt, to be released just before they reach the lowermost point of said drum. Suction is preferably applied, in known manner, through perforations in the flutes of the drum to retain the plugs in the flutes from the point Where they are received from the belt until they pass the uppermost point of the drum. Then as the plugs descend on the far side of the drum from the belt they may be retained in the flutes by a guide plate curved to part-cylindrical form and mounted close to the drum. Preferably the fluted drum is stopped temporarily when the predetermined number of articles has been counted, and restarted when the gate means is closed.

The counting means may take various forms but as the apparatus in general is intended for relatively highspeed operation it is preferred to employ an electronic counter; it is then particularly convenient to employ photo-electric sensing means associated with the transfer means to provide electric input pulses for the counter as articles are delivered to the release point.

The gate means most conveniently takes the form of a 3257541 Patented August 23, 1966 plate slidable horizontally across the delivery opening and sufliciently far below the release point to allow articles to accumulate on said plate while it is in openingclosing position; the number of articles to be so accommodated depends upon the time required to bring a fresh box, tray or the like below the opening after closure thereof. When such a plate is employed, it is further preferred to provide a down-turned flange 'on that end of the plate which lies to one side of the opening when the latter is open. While it may be arranged for the gate means to withdraw, leaving the opening clear, only when a fresh box, tray or the like lies completely across the opening, it is preferred to arrange that a slidable plate serving as the gate means moves in the same direction and at the same speed as the boxes, trays or the like when the delivery opening is to be opened, the opening movement of the plate being initiated as the leading edge of a fresh box, tray or the like commences to pass below the delivery opening. With such an arrangement, it will be seen that delivery of plugs or other articles into each box, tray or the like commences at the earliest possible moment and initially takes place through a restricted opening. At this time the preferred down-turned flange on the plate serves as a baflle or guide, assisting to maintain the plugs or other articles in a well-formed stream as they fall.

The above, and various other preferred, features of the invention will be more fully comprehended from the following description of one preferred embodiment of the invention, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of an apparatus embodying the invent-ion and designed for filling trays with multiple filter plugs for cigarettes, shown as filling of a tray is near completion;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 but showing the apparatus at the moment filling of a tray has just been completed; and

FIGURE 3 is another similar view, showing the apparatus when filling of another tray has started.

Referring first to FIGURE 1, the apparatus shown comprises a conveyor belt 1 bringing filter plugs from a plug-making machine or other source (not shown). The belt 1 at its delivery end passes around a support roller 2, and adjacent to the roller 2 is mounted a fluted drum 3, the drum 3 being parallel to roller 2 and sufficiently close to the latter to prevent plugs delivered by the belt 1 from falling between the drum and roller. Drum 3 rotates anticlockwise as seen in the drawing and carries plugs delivered by belt 1 with it. Drum 3 travels somewhat faster than belt 1, to allow for the intermittent stopping of drum 3 mentioned later. The plugs are carried in the flutes of the drum 3, any plugs which tend to ride on the drum in between flutes being prevented from moving far from the belt 1 by a so-called refuser roller 4, mounted parallel to the drum 3 a short distance from the belt 1; the roller 4 is so positioned relative to the fluted drum 3 that plugs carried in the flutes of the drum 3 may pass it but any further plugs carried on the surfaces of drum 3 between the flutes may not; the roller 4 also rotates anticlockwise to assist any such further plugs to fall back towards the belt 1 to await an empty flute.

Plugs received in the flutes of drum 3 are held there by atmospheric pressure, as each flute has drillings 5 in its bottom through which connection is made to a suction chamber 6, mounted against an end face of the drum 3, via ducts 7 extending longitudinally of the drum. The chamber 6 only extends over a part of the end face of the drum 3, so that as the drum rotates, suction is applied to cause retention of the plugs in the flutes only from about the point where plugs from the belt 1 may fall into the fiutes to just past the highest part of the drum. From the latter position to near the lowest part of the drum, on the side remote from the belt 1, a guide plate 8 of part-cylindrical form extends around the drum at a constant spacing, the clearance between the plate 3 and the drum just allowing the passage of plugs resting in flutes so that the presence of the plate 8 ensures that the plugs remain in the flutes and travel at the speed of the drum 3. This arrangement also ensures that the plugs travel in spaced relation, as the flutes are provided at spaced positions around the circumference of the drum.

Each plug on reaching the lower end of the plate 3 is released from the drum and falls into a delivery opening generally indicated at 9, which as shown in FIGURE 1 is bounded by a down-turned flange ll) of a closure plate 11 and by a baffle plate 12.

Below the opening 9 a succession of trays l3, ltd (Fl-"- URES 1 and 2) and 15 (FIGURES 2 and 3 arc driven by any convenient means (not shown). In the left-hand part of the opening 9 is provided a guide member 16 which serves to secure proper packing of plugs in the trays. The structure and operation of the member l6 (which is fully disclosed in British patent application No. 228/63) is irrelevant to the present invention save that it will be noted that the member 16 is raised clear above the level of the end walls of the trays as filling of each tray is completed and lowered again once the succeeding tray is sufiiciently advanced to receive it.

At the far end (as seen in the drawing) of the drum 3, near the lower end of plate 3, is mounted a photo-electric sensing unit 17 arranged to receive light from a lamp (not shown) similarly mounted at the near end of said drum, such light being directed etween the plate 3 and the drum 3 so that each plug travelling with the drum will cause a short break in the illumination of a photo-electric cell in the unit 17; the latter thus produces an electric pulse as each plug passes the position of the unit 17. Pulses thus produced are fed to an electronic counter (not shown) arranged to deliver an output signal whenever a predetermined count is attained and at the same time reset itself.

The closure plate 11 is provided with drive means (not shown) connected to receive the output signal from the electronic counter and, in response thereto, to drive the plate ill to the left to close the delivery opening 9 Said output signal is also employed to produce two other results, namely a temporary stoppage of the rotation of the fluted drum 3 and raising of the member 16. T he exact timings of the three operations depends in large degree upon the speeds with which they can be completed but the sequence should be as follows: drum 3 stops immediately the counter output signal appears and lifting of the member i=6 commences also immediately thereafter; the drive means for plate ll commences to drive said plate somewhat later, when the member it; has completed about half its lifting movement, so that the p ate 11 reaches its leftmost position (FIGURE 2) as soon as the lower end of the member l6 has moved above the level of plate ll; and drum 3 resumes its rotation as soon as plate ll has moved far enough to the left to prevent any of the plugs delivered upon restarting of drum 3 from passing below the plate ll. Once drum 3 restarts, plugs fall into the upper part of the opening 9, above the plate 11, and accumulate there until the plate ll is moved back to the right to permit them to fall into a fresh tray (tray 15, FIGURES 2 and 3).

reached a position under the flange ll? of plate ll, and the plate 11 is driven to the right at the same speed that at which the tray 13 is moving. starts to move to the right, the member in commences to descend into the tray 15, and shortly after mem' er 16 has regained its lowest position, the various parts are placed as illustrated in FIGURE 3.

Considering the sequence of operations from each restarting of the drum 3 to its next stoppage, it will be noted that plugs delivered as the drum restarts are stopped by the plate 11 and collect in the well formed by that part of the opening 9 above plate 11. The accumulated plugs fall into the fresh tray at whose arrival plate 11 returns to the right. After stoppage of the drum 3, there is a delay before plate 11 moves and this allows all plugs delivered by the drum to reach the tray whose filling is then being completed. Thus the determined number of plugs should reach each tray (assuming such number can be delivered in the time a tray takes to pass and can be accommodated in the tray). It is possible that, if unit l7 is placed high relative to the drum 3 and the latter stops very abruptly when the desired count is reached, that a few plugs included in that count will be retained in the flutes of drum 3 and eventually reach the following tray. While this may be acceptable on the basis that the same number of plugs will be so trapped at each stoppage and therefore on balance, only the first tray to be filled will receive a reduced number of plugs, in practice the position of unit 17 and the stopping of drum 3 may be so reconciled, that all plugs counted for each tray do reach the correct tray.

While various suitable forms of drive means and counter are known to those skilled in the art, possible arrangements will be briefly indicated. Plate ll may be connected to a rack meshed with a driving pinion connected via a magnetic clutch to an electric motor, so that leftward (closing) movement of plate ll can be secured by energisation or" both the clutch and the motor. A further magnetic clutch may serve when energised to connect the driving pinion to the drive means for the trays for return movement of the plate 11 at the correct speed; operation of this further clutch may be controlled by the counter output signal, passed through a delay circuit, or by sensing means arranged to respond to the arrival of a fresh tray at the appropriate position.

As the speed or" such apparatus as that described, while high in mechanical terms, is likely to be low in relation to the operation of electronic equipment, the counter may conveniently employ such devices as multicathode gas-filled counting tubes. A logical circuit may then be coupled to those cathodes of the tubeswhich together represent the predetermined number of plugs to be placed in each tray and the output or" that logical circuit applied to trigger one or more thyratrons or the like through which the drive means may be energized. It will be appreciated that the provision of a number of multi-way switches between the logical circuit and the counting tubes will allow the predetermined number to be varied as required.

Lastly, in the upper part of opening 9 are located a number of horizontal rods 13 carried by a bar 19; the bar 13' is horizontally slidable over a short range and means (not shown) are connected to the bar 19 to produce continuous reciprocation thereof. This assists proper distribution of plugs in each tray, as the rods 18 break up any localised piles of plugs.

I claim:

ll. Apparatus for filling containers with articles, comprising means to move containers in succession past a delivery station, feeding means to feed articles to said delivery station for delivery to successive containers, a closure member, means to move said closure member over a container to close the container when the latter has been filled, and means operable thereafter to move the said closure member with the filled container to prevent articles from moving into it while permitting articles to be fed into the next succeeding container.

2. Apparatus for filling containers with articles, comprising means to move containers in succession past a delivery station, feeding means to feed articles to said delivery station for delivery to successive containers, means for counting articles fed by said feeding means,

a closure member, and closure means operable under control of the said counting means to move said closure member over a container when a predetermined number of articles has been counted, said closure member being arranged thereafter to move with the said container to prevent articles from moving into it while permitting articles to be fed into the next succeeding container.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, including means actuated by the operation of said counting means to stop the operation of said feeding means when a predetermined number of articles has been counted, the feeding means being arranged to be restarted when the said closure member has moved over the said container.

4. Apparatus for filling containers such as boxes and trays with determined numbers of articles, comprising means for conveying articles in succession to a transfer position adjacent to a delivery opening, transfer means operable to carry articles from said transfer position to a release point above said opening, means for propelling containers below said opening, means for counting articles carried by the transfer means, gate means associated with said opening, said gate means being operable under control of the counting means to close said opening whenever a predetermined number of articles have been counted, and comprising a plate slidable horizontally across the delivery opening and sufficiently far below the release point to allow articles to accumulate on said plate while the latter is in opening-closing position, the gate means being so arranged that said plate moves in the same direction and at the same speed as the containers when the delivery opening is to be opened, such movement being initiated as the leading edge of a fresh container commences to pass below the delivery opening.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, in which said conveying means comprises a conveyor belt.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, in which the transfer means comprises a fluted drum mounted close to the delivery end of said conveyor belt.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, including means for applying suction through perforations in the flutes of said fluted drum to retain articles therein.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, including a guide plate curved to part-cylindrical form and mounted close to said fluted drum so as to retain articles in the flutes of the latter.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8, in which the fluted drum is so placed and rotated relative to the delivery end of the conveyor belt that articles are fed by the belt to enter the flutes at one side of the drum, said articles then travelling with the drum past its uppermost point and descending on the other side of the drum to be released just before they reach the lowermost point of the drum, the suction means being arranged to retain the articles in the flutes from the point where they are received from the belt until they pass said uppermost point and the guide plate being arranged to retain the articles in the flutes as they descend on said other side.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, in which the counting means comprises an electronic counter.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10, in which the counting means includes photo-electric sensing means associated with the transfer means and adapted to provide electric input pulses for the counter as articles are delivered to the release point.

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, in which said plate has a down-turned flange on that end of the plate which lies to one side of the delivery opening when the latter is open.

Reerences Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,171,193 8/1939 Ruau 19825 2,632,588 4/1953 Hoar l9840 X 2,919,529 1/1960 Hillman 53148 EVON C. BLUNK, Primary Examiner.

SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Examiner.

R. L. HICKEY, Assistant Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR FILLING CONTAINERS WITH ARTICLES, COMPRISING MEANS TO MOVE CONTAINERS IN SUCCESSION PAST A DELIVERY STATION, FEEDING MEANS TO FEED ARTICLES TO SAID DELIVERY STATION FOR DELIVERY TO SUCCESSIVE CONTAINERS, A CLOSURE MEMBER, MEANS TO MOVE SAID CLOSURE MEMBER OVER A CONTAINER TO CLOSE THE CONTAINER WHEN THE LATTER HAS BEEN FILLED, AND MEANS OPERABLE THEREAFTER TO MOVE THE SAID CLOSURE MEMBER WITH THE FILLED CONTAINER TO PREVENT ARTICLES FROM MOVING INTO IT WHILE PERMITTING ARTICLES TO BE FED INTO THE NEXT SUCCEEDING CONTAINER. 